She ran You didn't
by Cowgrl94
Summary: "Laurel Lance. She tried to run. She at least tried to break free. But you? You didn't bother to run." Slade tells Oliver he sees the appeal. But what did Felicity do/say for Slade to understand? This is something that popped into my head and I couldn't quite shake.
1. Felicity

**I couldn't sleep so I was watching Arrow clips and it started to bother me that I didn't know why Slade would say those words: "I was surprised, I thought you had a thing for stronger women. But now that I've met her, I can see the appeal." And obviously I kept watching more clips, re-watching my favourite scenes (especially ones where Felicity has NO problems scolding Oliver), when I came to the conclusion that Laurel, Sara, and Felicity are all quite 'strong', but where Laurel and Sara can be rather 'loud', Felicity is not as obvious which is why she is constantly being underestimated. So then I figured that Felicity Smoak must have done SOMETHING to deserve the "Now that I've met her, I see the appeal" line. **

**Basically this is my take on why Slade said that.**

**My first Arrow fic, thought I would try my hand at it. **

**Disclaimer - Arrow is not mine, the characters are not mine, none of it was mine. If it was, I would own a yacht. I do NOT own a yacht, therefore Arrow does not belong to me.**

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When the door finally closed behind him with a resonating 'thud', Felicity was still standing where Oliver had left her, trying to process what happened and to quell the emotions that were threatening to tear her apart. She closed her eyes, sucking up air into her desperate lungs and her hand closed tighter around the syringe he had pressed into her palm.

_Slade._ He was going to come get her.

That thought alone should have sent her sniveling to a corner, but instead, that thought pushed everything else to a dull pulse in the back of her mind, like a bruise already beginning to heal, hurting when pressed. Felicity opened her eyes, releasing the air she'd sucked in and casually tucked the syringe into her coat pocket. She made her way to the grand stairs and after climbing a few steps, sat and waited for Slade to send someone. She did not bother coming up with a plan. Like she had told Diggle those weeks prior, if Slade wanted to kill her there was nothing they could do. As the minutes ticked by, Felicity focused on keeping her mind clear and her breathing even. She just had to trust that Oliver knew what he was doing.

Fear didn't start making its way into her heart until she heard the rumbling of the engine. She flinched when the doors crashed open and squeezed her hand tighter around the syringe in her pocket when she heard his deep voice snapping an order:

"Find her."

He hadn't sent only a soldier to fetch her like he had with Laurel. He had come himself. Felicity squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and opened her eyes to see him standing at the foot of the stairs. His one eye peered at her and Felicity prayed that the fear beginning to latch cold fingers around her heart wasn't showing on her face. He tilted his head a fraction of a centimeter and she swore she saw a flicker of puzzlement flicker in his eye.

"Miss Smoak."

Felicity said nothing, not trusting her voice, rose to stand on shaky legs, and looked at him. He held out a hand before saying:

"If you would be so _kind_…"

Swallowing hard, Felicity mentally kicked herself into gear. Now that Slade was before her, and the katana reflecting the moonlight in his hand got bigger, the very real possibility that she was going to lose her life tonight dawned on her, and she heard herself whimper. _No_, she told herself. _He'll be there_. Finding her trust in Oliver and latching onto it for dear life, Felicity reached out a shaking hand and placed it into Slade's. Without missing a beat, the one-eyed man led her down the last few steps, out the damaged doors, and into the black car. Felicity stared out the window, keeping her senses on high alert, and trying not to focus on his one eye drilling a hole into her head or the light bouncing off the katana lying across his lap.

"She ran. You didn't."

Felicity turned. Of all the things to say, that's what he says?

"Sorry?"

She berates herself for sounding so weak, her voice trembling, threatening to crack; Slade shifts slightly in his seat and looks her over, almost searching for something…searching for what made her so special. The deafening silence stretches before Slade speaks again.

"Laurel Lance. I sent one of my soldiers out to collect her, and he reports that she fought back, she tried to run. It was just an annoyance to him, but still. She at least _tried_ to break free; she had _some_, albeit pathetic, protection at the station; but you? Oliver left you all alone in that big, dark house and you didn't even bother _hiding_. You didn't bother to _run_."

Slade paused, watching her, never blinking, never wavering and Felicity Megan Smoak met his gaze. Neither said a word. Slade leaned forward suddenly and grabbed her chin. Anger flared within her stomach and without even considering the consequences, Felicity jerked her head out of his hold and slapped his hand away hard. Slade's eye glinted and he grinned maliciously as he sat back.

"And there it is. I knew Oliver Queen had a thing for strong women, and I'm beginning to understand why he finds you so appealing, Miss Smoak. Laurel Lance is a loud strength, Sara Lance is also loud, but you, Miss Smoak, you are a different breed of strength. You're _much_ quieter; barely a whimper from you. And you didn't _run_…"

The giant of a man fell silent again and Felicity's heart thrummed in her ears. Had he figured it out? Had Slade realized that she was a trick; that the only thing special about her was the syringe she still gripped in her pocket? The rest of the drive was silent and Felicity, realizing that Slade seemed done talking for the moment looked out the window again, her throat closing at the destruction they zigged and zagged around. When they reached Slade's hiding place, the man practically jumped out of the vehicle in glee, sliding the katana back in its sheath, and barking out orders to the masked driver:

"Get her out, bring her down, and keep a sharp eye on this one."

Her door was swung open. The soldier gripped her upper arm and yanked, effectively pulling her out of the car and leaving bruises from his grip, before hauling her inside. He pushed her in front of him and Felicity heard the sound of the katana being slid out of its sheath again. Later she would wonder if he had done it for the effect the sound would have on her, but in that moment, the sound coupled with his words finally gave the cold fingers of fear the jolt they needed to firmly clutch her heart.

"She is quite _lovely_… your Felicity."

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**Thanks for taking the time to read this and please leave a review :)**


	2. Oliver

**I was originally considering to make it just about 'what Felicity did/said' drabbles, but ssue72 said I should do an Oliver continuation of the first 'installment' and my mind went into overdrive and was like "Hey! Why not scrap the one-shots for now and make this a set of three: Felicity, Oliver, and Slade?" And try as I might, I couldn't get rid of the Slade idea especially when Alyssa79 (when I read that review, I kid you not, I put my fist in the air and yelled "Yes! Not just me!") reviewed with a comparison of Felicity to Shado so I'm giving in to my brain.**

**Also, yes, this one is short. Oliver is in "Battle" Mode, so while he would acknowledge Slade's word choice, I don't think he would dwell on it too much.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews and the follows and the favourites, it makes me happy to get those notifications (my phone has been going crazy from it all...I've put it on vibrate, the song was driving me a little nuts lol).**

**Disclaimer - Did Oliver kiss Felicity? No. Am I sipping a Margarita, chilling on a yacht docked at the Bahamas? No. Would I be writing fanfiction if I owned the rights to Arrow? Probably not. **

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Oliver told him to do what he thought needed to be done, and a little voice in the back of his mind (sounding suspiciously like a 'not unattractive blonde') fiercely whispered that he had just condemned Laurel, gorgeous Laurel, to her death. But he pointedly ignored that little voice and told Slade he was done playing games.

"I was surprised; I thought you had a thing for stronger women. But now that I've met her, I can understand the appeal."

He knew who Slade was referring to, and Oliver's blood ran cold. _What had she done? What could she have said? _His jaw clenched at the unmistakable sound of the katana being drawn and what little hope Oliver didn't even know he had was obliterated.

Yes, his plan was for Slade to go after Felicity Smoak, but Oliver hadn't realized that he had been holding onto the hope that he would have time to return to the mansion; to get Felicity and get the syringe, to hand her over into Diggle's safe keeping; to defeat Slade _without _putting her in harm's way. Oliver had had a sliver of hope that Felicity's first and last encounter with Slade would have been at the Foundry.

"She is quite _lovely_… your Felicity."

How wrong he had been.

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**Next up is Slade :) if you want me to do the drabble idea, just let me know. Favourites and follows make me smile, reviews make my week!**


	3. Slade

**Disclaimer - If Arrow belongs to me, where is that money going? Because my bank account loudly reminds me that I can't afford that yacht, or these books, or those shoes. Then I remember I still have two years of University left and will have to pay back student loans, and my account loudly reminds me, again, that I should probably take my parents out to dinner when I graduate and get a steady 9 - 5 job, 5 days a week. Not the summer/winter break job I currently have (even though it is sooo much fun! I basically get paid to play. It's great.).**

**Until a random stroke of luck happens and I end up with the rights to Arrow, here is another chapter :)**

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She sat on the steps, partially hidden in the dark shadows, the moonlight giving her half a halo, and to Slade it was a sign that she was half dead. All he had to do was finish her, and he would win. Oliver Queen would be brought to his knees – permanently. Slade stood, katana in his hand, as he watched this pitiful blonde creature press herself tight against the wall, her eyes closed, her breathing shaky and forcibly slow, and he waited for her to see him. When she opened her blue eyes, the quiet acceptance defeating the fear, gave him pause. A foreign feeling tugged at his heart and for a brief moment, Slade Wilson wasn't in a rage-fueled haze, he was almost…_calm_. Just as quickly as it had come, the feeling was gone and the muscled mass remembered why he was there.

"Miss Smoak."

He hears himself say her name and was sure now, Felicity Smoak will run. Felicity Smoak will try to avoid fate. But she doesn't. Her gaze never wavering from his, she gets to her feet, and in some dark, long forgotten crevice of Slade's mind is the amused thought of how this will be the only time that the blonde woman would be looking down at him. He doesn't know what possessed him to do it, but he reaches a hand out to her before saying:

"If you would be so _kind…_"

After a moment's pause, the woman who holds Oliver Queen's heart glides down the steps and places her small hand into his rough one. As he leads her out the door to the awaiting vehicle, Slade hears _her_ voice, _Shado's_ voice.

_"__This isn't right. She should be afraid! She should be running, screaming, fighting. Oliver has a type. His type is not this _submissive_and _pathetic_girl! This is wrong._"

But he ignores her, because for a second, it wasn't a stranger he was helping down the last three steps, it wasn't a stranger he led to his car. The hand he was holding had turned warm from his excessive heat, and if he didn't look at her body, he could imagine black hair instead of blonde, dark eyes instead of blue hidden behind rectangular frames. As he opens the car door, black locks return to blonde and blue eyes avoid his as she slides her body to the opposite side and stares out the window. The drive to his base is quiet as he studies her. He recalls how Laurel Lance reacted when he knocked on her door to reveal Oliver's secret. He recalls her shrieks of fury and screams of poorly concealed fear as she was dragged kicking and screaming before him. He recalls his soldier grunting his report:

_"__She tried to run. An older cop tried to protect her."_

He recalls Sara Lance, her fighting nature on the island and her fighting nature now. He recalls hearing about Helena Bertinelli, McKenna Hall, and even Isabel Rochev. All these women emitted the same strength; it was like the boy was searching for a replacement of his mother. But this ponytailed blonde sitting across from him, who hid behind computer screens, who no one ever _heard_ of, did _not_ belong in the same category as these other women who fight tooth and nail, and she most certainly did not belong in a competition with Laurel Lance. He glowered at the ponytail, willing her to scream, cry, fight, _anything_. Yet she didn't. Aside from the whispered whimper, Felicity Smoak hadn't made a sound, and that, more than anything, bothered Slade Wilson.

"She ran. You didn't."

Slade had hoped that his voice would force a delayed reaction, and she would start up with the noise, but all she did was _apologize_. She _apologized_ in that questioning tone, the 'I'm sorry, I don't understand' and it made his blood boil. So he launched right into comparing her to Laurel Lance, gorgeous Laurel that everyone knew belonged to Oliver, who unknowingly was competing with the pathetic and small female sharing the car with him. He stares at her, waiting for her to say something, to show what makes her so special, but she doesn't. She just meets his stare. He lashes out, his hand gripping her chin, and suddenly he sees it. The anger at being man-handled flaring in her blue eyes, and she slaps his hand away hard enough it stings a little. It's all Slade can do to hold in the triumphant laugh that threatens to break through, so he just grins at her. He found it. He found the spark that makes her so appealing. Laurel Lance was loud; she screamed her strength, a force to be reckoned with. But Felicity Smoak was quiet. She had let herself get caught, she had let herself be led to her death and she did it all without a sound. Felicity Smoak wasn't going to avoid her fate, she was accepting it. In that moment, the fire burning in her eyes, her hand slapping his away, he understood what made her so appealing.

She was just as strong as the other women, if not stronger. She was her own category, just like Shado.

He'd been expecting her to run. He'd expected her to squirm and scream, like Laurel Lance had.

"I was surprised; I thought you had a thing for stronger women. But now that I've met her, I can understand the appeal."

Except, she hadn't.

"She is quite _lovely_… your Felicity."

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**Favourites and follows make me dance in my room, reviews make me run around the house singing loud and off key ^_^**


	4. Lance

**I tried having some sort of pattern to my uploading, but it just didn't happen. As far as I'm currently aware, there are only like 2-3 chapters left to this little set, which will be written and uploaded between work and a side project for my sister (she has requested a painting of the Binary Sunset).**

**Thank you all so much for the reviews, follows, and favourites! If I didn't PM you to thank you for any of those, I'm so sorry, but I can thank you now: THANK YOU! If anyone was wondering, the two songs I've had on repeat to sing along to as I run around like a madwoman are 'Fancy' by Iggy what's-her-name and 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' by Def Leopard :)**

**Disclaimer - I still don't own that yacht and I'm still writing fan fiction. Figure it out.**

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Quentin Lance wasn't sure at what point it had happened, but he had gained another daughter. One that kept her blonde locks in a ponytail. One that wore brightly coloured clothes. One that walked with a bounce rather than a step. And just like with his biological daughters, he hates to see her in danger, he hates to hear her voice break, and he hates seeing her cry.

But above all, he _hates_ that she works with the Arrow. He sees her or hears her and his first instinct is to preserve whatever innocence might be left. He wants to grab her and take her somewhere that the Arrow and his baggage will never touch her again. He doesn't, though, because he knows. He knows that Felicity Smoak would manage to find her way out, and no matter the whispers he hears about his age affecting his judgment, he recognizes how attached the vigilante is to the petite blonde, and though he would never admit it out loud, he is a little fearful of how the Arrow would react if his blonde partner were to be taken from him. Hidden from him.

The Arrow had killed for Felicity Smoak once, and Detective Lance had no doubts that he would kill for her again.

When he had asked Sara why he had been told to go to Queen Consolidated instead of a random rooftop, she responded dismissively:

"Because we were already here. Why waste time we don't have?"

While his youngest daughter returned to cleaning her bo staff, Quentin Lance felt his blood cold. He didn't like it, but he knew that Sara could hold her own. But he couldn't shake the anger bubbling up. Felicity was the one who had greeted him, tablet in hand, and he hadn't thought about it, but the thought struck him now. _She had been there_. He couldn't shake the feeling that the IT genius had been in the building where any one of these crazy, drug-filled soldiers could have grabbed her like they did Laurel. Before he could ask Sara for confirmation he noticed the hooded vigilante storm in and bark orders. Lance noticed his daughter briefly touch the Arrow's arm, her head tilted to the side, and the detective would have bet his life that she was concerned for him. He looked past the exchange between the two and noticed something missing, or rather _someone_.

"Where is she?"

Lance asked, he barely noticed his daughter lingering, watching him intently. When the older man didn't get a response he asked again.

"Where is Felicity Smoak?"

There was a pause and he could almost hear the Arrow grind his teeth, throwing the words over his shoulder as he stalked away.

"She's safe."

And Quentin Lance _knew_. He heard the lie for what it was and he just _knew_ that this girl he had come to care for was in danger and there was _nothing_ he could do, just like he knew that Felicity Smoak wouldn't run from whatever fate claimed her.

Slade Wilson didn't just have one daughter of Quentin Lance. He had two. And only one would run.

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**Don't forget to review :D**


	5. Sara

**Sorry for the delay, I've been busy and distracted. One chapter left after this one :)**

**Disclaimer - No yacht yet. **

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When Ollie returned alone to QC, Sara didn't think much of it; when she touched him she was telling him that she was there, they were going to win, and he was going to kill Slade. Then she heard her father ask about Felicity Smoak, and she realized that the IT girl was missing, but was satisfied when Oliver said she was safe.

Then the fight in the tunnel began and ended, and 'Team Arrow' were the victors.

"_She is quite lovely… your Felcitiy."_

Sara froze, carefully watching Oliver. His shoulders had tensed and she knew that he was going to go after Slade now. He had protected the city, but no one had been protecting him. A bitter feeling overcame her as she remembered what he had said, that the city was more important than _Laurel._ She understood his desire to protect the city, since that was the last way to take away everything, but it still stung that she couldn't go protect her sister. The _reason_ she had returned to Starling City in the first place! Then, to make it worse, Oliver had told Slade to 'do what he must' after Slade informed him about having his 'beloved', which Sara had assumed meant Laurel. It seemed that while Sara's heart had stopped, Oliver's had kept right on beating without breaking rhythm. When she had broken up with him, telling him to find someone to harness the light inside, she had been hinting his return to the oldest Lance sister, thinking that they could somehow mend each other.

It wasn't a Lance that was harnessing that little bit of light in his heart, it wasn't even Oliver who had started it. It was a blonde IT girl named Felicity Smoak who had seen the potential for a sun and started nursing it slowly. The same IT girl who never backed down when Oliver was taking out his bad mood on a real person, and the same IT girl who ran _towards _a bullet. If Felicity Megan Smoak _ran_, it would be towards the disaster, not away from it.

Sara was suddenly glad that Diggle was not linked in to this particular moment, and she was very glad that he wasn't present, because she knows how he would be looking at her after hearing Slade's words and seeing Oliver's reaction. He would have seen how his friend had gone from angry victory stance to coiled and furious, terrified that something would happen to Felicity. Diggle, the black driver, would look at her and his face would be smug, his face would say 'I told you, you were not his', his face would say 'never bet against Felicity Smoak', all the while being just as angry, just as scared for Felicity as Oliver was after hearing those words.

Being as engrossed with her thoughts as she was, Sara almost missed the words Oliver whispered, words that reminded her that her _friend_ was in danger, words that reminded Sara Lance that Felicity Smoak would never run:

"_What has she done?"_

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	6. Laurel

**I know there has been a super long delay, and I'm so sorry. My excuses consist of college and writers block.**

**THANK YOU so much to everyone who has hit follow or favourite, I've gotten lazy about responding and I apologize.**

**This is the LAST installment of _She ran. You didn't._ I hope you like it and thanks so much for reading and sticking with me :)**

**Disclaimer - Seriously?**

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It wasn't like she hadn't fought back. She had. She had screamed and cried, kicked and punched – no effect. She had even tried to run. The nameless man in the mask had just laughed and just pulled her back like she was a child's raggedy Anne. Then he tossed her to another nameless mask with a gruff:

"Bitch likes to run."

She had heard him stomp down the pipe lined hallway and moments later he came back with Slade Wilson.

"He'll come get me, and he will kill you when he does." She tried keeping the fear out of her voice and focus on the anger and certainty. Oliver would be barging in any minute to save her, like he had before. Slade smirks.

"I'm counting on it."

And then she is left again, the silent masked man looming behind her, and her aching body a reminder of the consequences of running. So she waited for his familiar scent and the sound of a bow string pulled taunt.

At first, Laurel Lance didn't understand why he was taking so long to show up and rescue her. Slade had kidnapped her hours ago and she was still being held prisoner. She had heard a Slade shout in anger and clang, a pipe being smashed. She heard boots thundering every which way and her heart pounded so hard it hurt. One of Slade's followers thunders up to her warden, says something quietly and takes off again.

"What did he tell you?" The question is ignored and eventually all she hears again is her pounding heart and the dripping from the pipes. Then she hears the pounding of boots, before she hears Slade Wilson's voice echoing throughout the underground.

_"__I was surprised; I thought you had a thing for stronger women. But now that I've met her, I can understand the appeal."_

She hears the sound of metal, and her blood chills as she understands the katana is being drawn.

"_She is quite lovely… your Felcitiy."_

For a brief moment, her heart stops. _Felicity_? An image of a blonde ponytail popped in her mind, and suddenly she understood. She had been the wrong one. Her warden hauls her to her feet and drags her closer to Slade's voice. He gives no hint that her struggles are having an effect. Laurel hears Slade speaking and knows that Ollie is there, but she knows he isn't there to save her. He's there to save someone else. It would _always_ be someone else. Later, when Laurel Lance has time to think, time to breathe, she understands why the Arrow had taken so long to show up amongst the creaking pipes.

Her name is Felicity Smoak, and she hadn't run until the syringe was buried in Slade Wilson's neck.

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